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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly 5x greater planet-heating pollution than lab-reported data indicate, as per a recent report.

Growing Discrepancy In Lab and Actual Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs release only 19% less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, based on research conducted by a non-profit group. This contrasts sharply with laboratory estimates, which suggested a 75% reduction in emissions.

Analysts examined information from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars registered in Europe from 2021 and 2023. They found that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while lab-reported emissions are falling,” stated a senior researcher involved in the report. “This discrepancy is growing and poses a significant problem. As a result, PHEVs emit nearly as much as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Factors Driving the Discrepancy

Analysts linked most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles driven in battery power compared to overall mileage. The team determined that only 27% of driving was completed in EV mode, whereas official assumptions suggested 84%.

Additionally, when operating in electric mode, emission levels were well above official projections. That occurred because electric motors were not strong enough to function alone, resulting to engines burning fossil fuels for nearly a third of the travel completed in EV mode.

Policy and Economic Consequences

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output enabled four major automaker companies to escape more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with European Union fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would spend approximately €500 more annually in operating costs than is assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The bold claims that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are obviously far from the mark,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being misled into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of energy use, CO₂ emissions, and operating expenses.”

Policy Debate and Automotive Lobbying

Hybrid cars have recently been brought back into policy debates as automakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ targets. A planned ban on new combustion engine cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car sector and opposition from member states with significant car manufacturing.

Some senior politicians have proposed plug-in hybrids as a potential “flexibility” solution to introduce in the regulation.

One independent energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the analysis a “very useful addition” after years in which parts of the automotive industry claimed there was too little information to properly evaluate actual emissions.

“These findings demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the gap in lab and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ emissions is much, much larger than for gasoline or conventional cars,” the expert said. “Any policy changes regarding PHEVs should be implemented with utmost care and in the light of this data.”